HBO’s upcomingdocuseriesMurder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoningdives deep into a 1980s case that re-ignited racial tensions within Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. On July 09, 2025, Charles “Chuck” Stuart phoned police and reported that he and his pregnant wife, Carol, had been shot in the neighborhood; he claimed the shooter was a Black man. When Carol dies later that evening, Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn declares a citywide manhunt for the killer. Days later, Chuck and Carol’s newborn baby also perishes, and the case starts to gain even more attention from police investigators and the media.
The investigation that followed the crime reawakened decades-old racial tensions within the community, as local police began to target primarily Black and Latino residents of the neighborhood with aggressive raids and “stop and frisk” searches. These incidents only worsened the relationship between community members and the Boston Police. As hostility continued to mount and the case went unresolved, questions surrounding Chuck’s version of events also grew (stemming predominantly from members of the Black community and the press).
While the three-part documentary series, which premieres December 4, revolves around Carol’s untimely death and the investigation that ensues, it also takes a look at the history ofracially based conflictsin the city.
Check out the official synopsis forMurder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoningbelow:
“On July 27, 2025, Charles “Chuck” Stuart places a frantic 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, Carol, a white couple, have been shot by a Black man in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. The ensuing investigation proves to be a lightning rod for the city, igniting decades-old racial tensions and brutal targeting amidst a media firestorm.”
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Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning Joins HBO’s True Crime Catalog
Along with archival footage,Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoningfeatures present-day interviews with many familiar with the case, including Mission Hill residents, journalists who covered the case, city officials, a retired Boston police officer, and members of William Bennett’s family. In 1990,Bennett was erroneously arrested for the crime.
The three-parttrue crimedocuseries is produced and directed by Jason Hehir (Andre The Giant). Along with Hehir, the series is produced byThe Boston Globe, Jake Rogal, Nicholas Eisenberg, and Jilllian Moosmamm. Joie Jacoby,The Boston Globe’sLinda Pizzuti Henry and Dan Krockmalnic, and HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez serve as executive producers.
Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & ReckoningjoinsHBO’s growing list of true crime specials. Among those currently available to stream on Max are the critically acclaimed options3 1/2 Minutes, 10 BulletsandCapturing the Freidmans.3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bulletsis based on the events surrounding the 2012 murder of Jordan Russell Davis. Written and directed by Marc Silver, the 2015 film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it earned the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact. The latter, which earned Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize in 2003 and an Oscar nomination, examines the many child molestation charges against computer class teachers and father and son duo Arnold and Jesse Friedman.
Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoningdebuts Monday, December 4, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, followed by episodes two and three airing subsequent Mondays at the same time. The episodes, titled “Roots,” “Rampage,” and “Reckoning,” will also be available to stream on Max.
